EAC hails plan to reopen Gatuna-Katuna border
The East African Community Secretariat has hailed January 31, 2022, move by Uganda and Rwanda to reopen the Gatuna-Katuna border post.
The East African Community Secretary-General, Dr Peter Mathuki, appreciated the effort, saying it would boost regional integration.
Mathuki added the border opening would strengthen bilateral ties between EAC partner states through socio-economic and political relations.
“Reopening this strategic trade route is consistent with the provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol and is expected to accelerate the partner countries’ economic and social development by reviving the free movement of goods, persons, capital, and labour,” Dr. Mathuki said.
He reiterated that the reopening of the border would promote peace and security in the entire region, as well as uplift regional integration.
“The move is a reflection of the deep commitment and existing goodwill among the EAC Heads of State to widen and deepen cooperation in the bloc, particularly as the community expands with the anticipated entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.
“The secretariat is ready to provide any technical support that may be required to ensure sustainability on the movement of goods and services across all the borders,” said Dr. Mathuki.
The decision is expected to boost social and economic activities for traders who supply and market goods across the border as well as ensure that Gatuna-Katuna one-stop Border Post is operational.
Border closure
The decision to reopen the border, which had been closed for three years, came after Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Museveni’s son, visited Rwanda, VOA News reported.
Rwanda closed its border with Uganda in February 2019 after accusing Uganda of supporting rebels to cause instability in Rwanda, as Uganda also accused Rwanda of spying.
The Rwanda government issued a statement saying that they were hoping to settle issues that they earlier raised so that the Ugandan government would address such obstacles.
The closing of the border led to financial constraints for businesses across the border, as analysts now urge the two countries to compensate traders for the losses.
In 2019, the executive director of the Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women, Sheila Kawamara, filed a lawsuit for the court to order the border to be reopened and work should resume.
“I would propose and appeal to the two governments to find a way to compensate the traders for the losses they have had,” she said.
“So, there should be a mechanism that Rwanda and Uganda put in place to ensure that the business community on either side of the border are able to get back into business,” Sheila said.
